Out Of Time
by Gaibriel Minuit Noire
Summary: Antoinette had only planned for her friend's party, not the cursed surprise. What is she to do if the bride to be demanded costumes and alcohol? A bad mix indeed. Soon to be thrust into a whole new mess of troubles, Antoinette must stay strong.


My eyes closed as I pressed my form against the thick steel chains. The cool, strong wind of the lake felt magnificent. It always did. My mind pictured all of the ships out on the waters of the sea sized lake. How could I not be out there? I frown at the longing I felt. I had fought long and hard to get where I am. I ran a business, a legal business that I had no wish to leave. It took care of mother, just the way it should be. Just as father had requested. Father…

How I missed him. If only-

"Ah, a pyrate af'er me own 'eart," an accented voice drawled from behind me.

I glance over my shoulder at the male. My frown slips away to my mask, blank, never give it away to be used against you. The man was to be our captain for the short trip. A trip on a boat straight from any pirate movie. The whole crew was even paid to dress in theme and act in theme. The whole of the party to be on the boat were to be dressed in theme as well. Jessica's orders.

Jessica was our lovely bride to be. She had chosen both my costume and her own. She paid far too much for a simple bachelorette party. No, I had paid too much for it. She had been strict with the theme of pirates and had the costumes made. I had made the party, planned the ship and crew.

I strode past the man with confident strides, as if I were the captain and not he. The crew all looked up as I stepped onto the ship. They knew I was used to being in charge and it showed in most every aspect of my being. My clothes were always fine, groomed and in place impeccably, just as the rest of my being. The women at the front of the ship were all dressed in skirts, giving the crew of show unknowingly or in a planned way.

The wind swept at my over shirt which left the front open and swung from the bottom of the bodice down to my mid to upper calf in the back. Jessica was glowing in her white and gold historical dress. She had wanted to look like she had come from the 18th century. I couldn't blame her, she had wished to wear a dress of such fashion since childhood. Her bright blue eyes lit on me as I strode across the deck and to the party of women.

"How is everything, Jessica?" my voice was stiff, like normal, all business.

"Oh, thank you so much, Toni!"

She ducked down quickly to hold me in a quick embrace. She smiled as she looked over my wardrobe. The royal blue of the bodice and over skirt drew a blue hue to my gray eyes, a 'trick to soften me up' as she would say. She would have loved to get me in a full blown gown just as her, but I had strongly refused.

"Well be settin' sail, lasses," the first mate calls from the quarterdeck.

I would be loath to forget the look of glee on dear Jessica's face that morning.

I sighed as I stood stiffly at the front of the ship, watching our progress. I had no plan to drink on this ship more than was needed. My shirt clad arms crossed behind my back, hands gripping wrists. Jessica, at 25 years of age, had secured a wealthy man to take her as the woman she wished to be, a loving mother and wife. She craved the life she saw her own parents have, the life of wealth and a fulfilling marriage.

Life for us could be no more different. She hadn't worked a day in her life beyond exercise in her own home gym. I had worked since I could remember. Whether it be for father, mother or my own means , I had always worked. It was the way of my family, my father's family. He was a respected man that had come from the bottom and gone to the top. A man of organized crime and business, he had taught me all my life to be what I want, fight hard for what is mine and what I wish to achieve. I had. I had become a wealthy business own and worked along side of Jessica's father's company just as my own father had. I took more legal means of work, in the eye of the government. I too did what ever needed to reach my goals.

"Toni!"

I raised a hand to push my long raven curls from my face to see the one who had called from behind me, from the main deck. Jessica stood with her friends laughing as they leaned over the ledge to see something in the water. The crew had raised the sails to let us float along slowly, to the good graces of the drunken women. A school of fish swam close to the ships edge. The women were delighted to see such life near the ship.

Time seemed to slow as Jessica leaned further more to see the school all the better. A slight wave of the lake slowly rolled against the boat, hardly noticeable, but it struck her. She tilted quickly, eyes wide, falling head first over the railing. The women screamed out, gripping the ledge and watching with horror. The splash that ensued made no mind to me.

My feet took me without thought to the rail on my right, swinging over with agile grace after my longest and only friend. The water hit me like a cold slap to the face, bringing my senses back as I forced my cold gray eyes to search for her. Golden curls swarmed bellow me as if they were sea weed. The dress was too heavy for her. She was a foul swimmer to begin, but the dress made it impossible for her to even try.

My thin arms grabbed hold of her quickly, pushing with all my might and will to pull the both of us back up. I saw the glow of the sun on the water as my goal. Not now, nor will I ever give in to my goal. I felt the burn of my own ambition and will in my heart and mind as I pushed with a new found wave of adrenaline.

Jessica's head hit air before my own. We both gasped, sucking in the warm object our lungs had so greedily burned for. I had grabbed hold of the ladder they had lowered and held her with the last bit of strength I could, pushing her to climb. She turned back half way up the ladder to smile at me, her eyes glowing with praising joy. My own eyes were struggling to stay above water even with my grip on the ladder, which was slipping slowly.

Her smile fell as horror filled her eyes, my hand gripping only by a finger. I saw her mouth form the scream, but heard nothing as the water pulled me under. I had no strength to push myself toward the top. All I could do was float further into the depths of the unforgiving waters. The glow of the sun on the water slowly darkened the further I went. Maybe my will would be lost. No, it had been.


End file.
